Minnesota State enters the 2015-16 season returning just five upper classmen and 20 underclassmen including 10 sophomores and 10 freshman.

What's On Tap:  Coming off of a season that featured the most losses in program history, new bench boss John Harrington and the Minnesota State women's hockey team look to start a new in 2015-16., The Mavericks kick-off this year's season hosting Union this Friday and Saturday at All Seasons Arena.

The series kicks off Friday night at 7:07 p.m., before wrapping up Saturday afternoon at 2:07 p.m.

Looking Back at Last Year:  Minnesota State finished 3-32-1 overall a year ago and posted a 1-126-1 mark in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play.  With the transfer of forward Nicole Schammel after last season, sophomore Hannah Davidson (Kincardine, Ont.) is the top returnee in points from a season ago, netting six goals and helping on nine others for 15 points. Senior Katie Johnson (Anoka, Minn.) will be looked to for experience this year as she will be the only senior to put on the purple and white this season.  Additionally, junior Brianna Quade (New Castle, Ont.) is back between the pipes after playing in 13 games during her sophomore season.  Contending for the starting netminder position this year along with Quade, is sophomore Katie Bidulka (Oakville, Ont.) and freshman Julia Carle (North St. Paul, Minn.).

A Look at the Dutchmen:  Union is coming off a 2014-15 campaign that saw the Dutchmen finish 4-22-8 overall and 1-16-5 in the Eastern College Athletic Conference en route to finishing in 11th place in the conference. A couple of Union's most notable wins from a year ago came in the version of two shutouts. The Dutchmen defeated the University of Connecticut 1-0 in October of 2014 and the University of Maine by a score of 2-0 in December of 2014. Offensively, Union averaged 1.2 goals per game and 20.0 shot per game a year ago. Defensively, the Dutchmen allowed 3.2 goals per game and 36.6 shots per game on average. The UC power-play connected at 14.4%, while its penalty-kill was effective 84.3% of the time it took the ice.

The Dutchmen are guided by head coach Claudia Asano Barcomb who will begin ninth year at the helm of the program and owns a 36-208-36 overall career record with a 9-150-17 ledger in ECAC competition.  Union returns both of their top-point scorers from a year ago including seniors Kathryn Tomaselli (Cranston, R.I.) and Jessica Kaminski (Winnipeg, Manitoba). Each come back this season after having reached the 20-point mark last year. Tomaselli netted nine goals and assisted on 11, while Kaminski tallied six goals and 14 helpers, respectively. In net, Union brings in two fresh faces as Leah Patrick (Hudson, Wis.) and Melissa Black (Newmarket, Ont.) each enter their maiden seasons.

First Time for Everything: This weekend's matchup marks the first meeting between the Dutchmen and Minnesota State.

Minnesota State All-Time: The MSU women's hockey program - started in 1998-99 - is currently in its 18th season of competition and has compiled a 161-371-48 (.319) record in 580 total games played. The Mavericks are in their 17th year as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and boast an 83-278-39 (.256) mark in 400 league contests.

Welcome to Minnesota State:, Minnesota State welcomes 10 newcomers to this year's squad. Freshman Julia Carle (G, North St. Paul, Minn.), Emily Antony (F, Plymouth, Minn.), Jordan McLaughlin (F, Grand Rapids, Minn.), Megan Berg (F,, Woodbury, Minn.), Corbin Boyd (F, Minnetonka, Minn.), Leila Kilduff (D, San Jose, Calif.), Steph Keryluk (F, Verona, Wis.), Megan Hinze (D, Carver, Minn.), Emily Harris (F, Littleton, Colo.), and Lena Duesterhoeft (D, Munich, Germany) will all begin their collegiate careers with the Mavericks this weekend.

Saying Good Bye:  MSU will play its last home series at All Seasons Arena this weekend vs. Union.  Minnesota State sits at an 81-150-25 mark at home all time and have called All Seasons Arena its home since its inception in 1998. The Mavericks will move to their new home, Verizon Wireless Center, on October 9-10 as they host North Dakota at the 4,832 capacity arena.

Road Warriors:, The Mavericks will play 18 road games this 2015-16 season, that features 16 WCHA games and a trip to New York the second weekend of the season to face RIT in Rochester, N.Y.

Beat the Best to Be the Best:  Eighteen of Minnesota State's 36 games last season came against opponents ranked in the top-ten nationally, and four came against teams receiving votes. In total, MSU possessed a 0-20 record in those contests and will look to redeem themselves as a competitor in the Western Collegiate Hockey Conference.

New Look Mavs: Along with the addition of 10 freshman this season, Minnesota State hired head coach John Harrington to take the reigns of the team and brought on Jeff Giesen as an associate. With the help of sixth-year assistant coach Shari Dickerman, the Mavericks will look to turn things around in 2015-16.

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